The Eagle And The Snake
by night-rainbow27
Summary: The untold story of Tom Riddle's school years and the meeting of the sapphire eyes that possibly made a difference.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: My first ever Harry Potter fanfic. I hope you guys will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There should be more to come, but I cannot promise anything on how soon they will come. For now, I hope you will enjoy this one.

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**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters on this fanfic. They all, save for rin, belong to J.K. Rowling.

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**~ The Eagle and the Snake ~**

_**Chapter 1**_

**Tom**

There were people all around him. Black robes ruffling against each other as the 11-year-olds underneath were trying to keep up with the teacher that was leading them. Professor Merrythought, her name was as she introduced herself to the first years. Most of them remained quiet and watched her with apprehension as she did and then as she led the way deep into the castle that will soon become their future school. Others, a select few, were brave and maybe ventured to tell a joke out loud that brought on a few awkward chuckles from their peers.

They were a large crowd, impatient and anxious about the new environment they found themselves in. Some of them knew – or they thought they knew – all about the greatness of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, especially if their parents were wizards themselves. Those who weren't as lucky simply gave themselves to fate and let it take the reins of their destiny. With both parents as Muggles, there was nobody and nothing else to turn to.

They all chatted amongst themselves as they walked up the long staircases of the castle. The Sorting hadn't even started yet and most of them already found another soul to bond with in this time – whether it was because of friendliness or fear.

Tom walked by himself, in no way seeking the presence of another and distancing himself from any approaching figure. He shied away from any stranger's touch, whether it was accidental or otherwise. In all his years of solitude in the orphanage, instead of trying to avoid it, he sought it out, even thrived in it, because it was the only environment he felt comfortable in.

The mass of first years stopped at the end of the staircase, but not because it was the end of the road – far from it. Above them there were several more staircases, and Tom was sure there were many other levels beyond. He had seen the castle outside when he stepped out of the boat. Not to mention that their journey in the world of magic had only just begun.

There was a figure at the end of the staircase. Recognition dawned upon Tom just as he laid eyes on the man standing before them. Professor Dumbledore, he called himself, Tom recalled.

He looked different than when he first – and last – saw him, for Tom never saw him again after his visit at the orphanage. He had been true to his word and let Tom fend for himself in Diagon Alley. It took some getting used to, but like he told Dumbledore, he could take care of himself.

When he visited him at the orphanage, he was wearing a very odd plum suit that no doubt attracted attention to him on his way there. Now the color was similar, but the suit was replaced with long, floor-length robes.

"All the first years are here, Professor Dumbledore," said Professor Merrythought.

"Thank you for showing them the way, Galatea," Dumbledore smiled at the witch. "You may join the rest of the teachers now in the Great Hall." The witch left down the staircase and out of sight. Tom didn't glance at her twice. His eyes were only for Dumbledore. The wizard looked away from the retreating figure and peered over the mass of first years. As if seeing the many emotions that were mingled in that cramped space, his eyes seemed to take on a gentle understanding. Tom continued to watch him warily, oddly distrustful of him. Although the wizard had been nothing but kind to him, Tom sensed something about him that he couldn't really trust.

"Follow me," he said in voice that held both an order and a request as he turned around. He walked up toward the pair of intimidating wooden double doors and swung them open. The first years followed, some right away, others more reluctantly until they filled the small room before them.

Tom could hear chatter, but it was strangely muffled. His dark eyes darted to the door in front of them that was much like the one they just passed. His eyes rested on Dumbledore once again.

The teacher turned around and regarded everybody over his half-moon spectacles. "Welcome to Hogwarts," he said brightly, "You will join your classmates shortly, but first you will be Sorted into your proper House.

"There are four Houses at Hogwarts," he paused briefly, as if for more effect, "Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Every single House has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While successes give you points for your House, breaking the rules will deduct points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will win the House Cup."

The corners of his mouth lifted up in a kind smile. "I hope each and every one of you will do your best. Now," he rubbed his hands together enthusiastically, an excited gleam appearing in his sky blue eyes. "The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly. Please wait here quietly until we are ready to receive you." And with another pleasant smile, he turned around and left.

The first years waited until Dumbledore was out of sight before the chatter began. Some of them still bothered to whisper, but most of them didn't. They were alone now.

"What House do you want to get in?"

"Slytherin is full of snobs."

"I hope I get in Gryffindor!"

"How do you think they will choose our House?"

"Do you think we can pick?"

Tom tried his best to tune everything out, and he succeeded. Mostly. The experience acquired at the orphanage to tune out the shouts and arguments and cries of the other children was paying off. And this crowd was not much bigger than how many children there were at the orphanage, therefore it shouldn't be much harder to close his mind to the annoying chatter. Then why was he having difficulties?

He sighed heavily and scowled, his dark brows arching heavily over his equally dark eyes. He supposed he was a little nervous after all. This was a big day in his life. The beginning of everything. The answers will soon come as well as all the secrets of magic that he had desperately wanted to discover ever since he found out. Maybe he will finally find out more about his father. Tom Riddle. The hag from the orphanage, Mrs. Cole, told him that that was his father's name. She told him that his mother, when she gave birth to him, wanted him to be named Tom after his father and Marvolo after his grandfather.

He didn't even wonder about his mother anymore. The sheer ludicrousness of the thought of her having died didn't make him the least bit interested in her and her death. She had obviously been a weakling, with no magical powers.

Tim sighed again, and the scowl didn't leave his face. He didn't want to think of his parents right now. That he will leave for later. There were too many people around him. Too many distractions. Too many people with smiling faces and too many accidental brushes against his arm. It made him excruciatingly uncomfortable. He pushed his way against the opposing forces in front of his to make his way out of the crowd. His future classmates looked at him, some questioningly, others annoyed at the disruption.

Whatever they found in his eyes as their gazes locked, one by one, widened their eyes at him and then looked away. One by one, they got out of his way. Nobody looked after the antisocial boy who sought solitude.

Finally, he reached the end of the mass of people. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed there were a few others on the side, away from the core, but he paid no attention to them.

Instead, he let his mind wander freely to the glorious fact that in just a few moments he will be Sorted in a House and the next day he will start studying all the secrets of magic. He wondered greedily about all the things he will learn in seven years and how powerful he will eventually become.

In the middle of his pondering, he heard a small, barely audible gasp that was so unfamiliar and out of place that it cut through his concentration and he lost his trail of thought completely. The interruption angered him and his dark eyes peered around him, searching for the source. While doing so, his mind thought back to the sound. Somehow, it could only associate it with the word "innocent." The term was thoroughly foreign to him, never having met anybody or anything that was remotely innocent in his life. Never before had he had to use that term. His frown deepened.

In no time at all, since there were only a few people away from the crowd, he found the source of the gasp. And she was looking straight at him, as if she had acknowledged him long before he had her.

The first and only thing he noticed about her was the eyes that were watching him so intently. They were a deep, bright blue eyes that were accentuated by a pair of thick, dark eyelashes. Meeting those eyes momentarily stunned him. He had never seen eyes like those before. Then it struck him. His assumption could not have been more wrong. There was absolutely nothing innocent about those eyes. The way they bored into his, the way she didn't look away, though not due to her stubbornness, but out of pure fearlessness. Tom glared and, where everybody else looked away and got out of his way, she stood there, holding his dark eyes with a look that could only be described as mere curiosity.

Tom continued to glare, though her lack of emotion and response unnerved him slightly. Her gaze was almost uncomfortable to hold. Those eyes reflected wisdom, another trait he hadn't encountered before and he could almost feel her looking into his soul and the past that he was desperately trying to uncover. He could almost feel her turning each page in his heart, reading his every secret.

He couldn't stand that feeling any more and, finally, he was forced to look away.

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**Rin**

There were so many emotions that Rin was feeling at the same time, it was hard for her to distinguish which one's were hers anymore. Platform Nine and Three Quarters, the train ride and now finally at Hogwarts. Once she stepped within the castle grounds, the mixture of so many feelings from so many individuals knocked the breath out of her and she even lost her balance. Rin fell heavily to the ground on all four limbs, breathing hard.

She remembered vaguely somebody going to help her up, but she couldn't recall the face. The person asked her if she was all right. Rin simply nodded feebly and gave her helper a half-hearted thank you. She knew she had to get a hold of herself otherwise she might attract unwanted attention, but she couldn't find the strength to do so.

Never, in all living memory, had she been surrounded by so many people at once. But she knew that if she was to attend this school, she will have to work things through somehow.

Some unseen force made her emerge from the shock and follow her peers. Rin had no idea what she was getting into, which was both exhilarating and frightening for her. She had absolutely no knowledge of magic what so ever. Her parents were non-magic folk, so they couldn't provide any input. She was all alone in a completely foreign world.

She was just as frightened as everyone else, possibly more so. But what drove her to come here, more than anything else, was her fascination with magic. As a commoner and raised as one, she didn't know about anything else other than what she'd learned. To not believe things unless proven they exist or if she's seen them with her own eyes. Perhaps that was why she was here. Perhaps it was pure curiosity.

She couldn't exactly explain it to herself, but she wanted to come. A deep fear of change from the world she grew up to know to something completely unfamiliar engulfed her. That fear combined with everybody else's fears and anxieties and insecurities and excitement almost knocked the breath out of her tiny body. Rin panted slightly and tried to control her breathing, in, out, in, out. She kept going.

They came to a meeting point, she heard some words exchanged, but she couldn't comprehend their actual meaning. Her head was pounding harshly and it didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. How will she be able to concentrate in her classes and on her studies like this?

Rin brought her slim fingers to her temple, pressed lightly, then gave up. Before she knew it, they were walking again. She raised herself on her tip-toes and saw a tall figure in plum robes swinging open a pair of wooden doors. She frowned. She didn't recall Professor Merrythought to have plum colored robes, but she dismissed the thought. She probably wasn't paying attention. Rin quickly retreated to a less crowded part of the room, away from the chatter. Though that didn't dim the pounding pain in her head, it relaxed her somewhat.

When the figure turned around, she saw that it wasn't Professor Merrythought after all. This person had dark auburn hair and, even from a distance the deep blue was easily distinguishable. But they weren't a blue that people compared to sapphires, like hers. No, this man's were light like the sky outside on a clear, cloudless, summer day. His eyes were very pleasant, excited even behind his half-moon spectacles, but underneath they held great wisdom. He was a tall man, with an aged face due to both burdens from the past and shortcomings in the present, but pleasant and young all the same.

He started his speech about the Houses, but she wasn't listening, at least not very intently. Instead, she tried to suppress her power to something she can at least ignore. She scowled, realizing only too well how vital it was for her to learn to do just that.

Rin walked to the wall with small, careful steps, swaying slightly on her feet. She leaned against it, eased her head on it and closed her eyes briefly. She put her sweaty palms against the cool bricks and relished at that simple action. For a moment, she could ignore the constant pressure on her mind and take a break. But only for a moment.

She sighed, opened her eyes and looked ahead at the mass of people. Their emotions tugged at her own, but in a crowd so large with such similar feelings, it was next to impossible to coincide them with the faces in the crowd.

Except… She tried to find the hostility she felt before among all the others. It wasn't hard. It was a distinct feeling, and unique in this crowd. She started having a more intense feeling on this particular person since they got on the boats. It got muddled in the large mass of people beforehand, no doubt.

Rin concentrated on that feeling of hostility alone and tried to look deeper into it. At a glance, she could only feel the person's most powerful feeling. She dug deeper, explored and felt a gasp escape from her lips as she encountered the sheer force of this person's emotions. She felt greed. Curiosity. Jealousy. An intense desire to prove themselves. An intense desire to find something. A desire to be different. To be unique. To be better. The best, if possible. Last, but not least, an intense desire for power.

She found the combination, though odd, extremely interesting. Such different emotions from the general sparked her curiosity. Rin tried to locate the person, but she didn't have to look far. He stood several feet away, secluded from the crowd. He seemed to be surveying it, his expression holding a certain spark of curiosity, but mainly irritation.

Sooner than she expected, his gaze found hers. He glared at her without remorse, but she stood her ground and took this opportunity to survey him closer. He was slightly shorter than she was, with pale skin, jet-black hair parted to the side and equally dark eyes. His expression was devoid of any emotion as he stared into her eyes. His figure was obviously slim underneath his robes, and she noticed that his hands were balled into fists. Finally, he scowled, and looked away, irritation dominating his handsome features.

Rin continue to survey him, but couldn't deduce anything more about the strange boy than she already had.

Then, the tall double doors were swung open and Professor Merrythought emerged toward them. Behind them, Rin could see four tables filled with people looking straight at them. For a moment, first years locked eyes with their older peers, but they soon shied away from them and looked away.

"Follow me," said the same man in plum robes whose name she hadn't heard. He turned around and led them toward the hall. As they were scrutinized by everybody present, they shyly followed their teacher. The man motioned them to stop, and they scrambled in the small area between the long table where the teachers and the other students sat.

At one point, their guide stopped, so the students stopped as well. Rin peeked though the line of people that formed and looked around to see what was keeping them. As she peered around, she saw that everybody was looking at the hat that was on a stool a little ways away from them. She looked from the tables to the hat, waiting for something to happen. Then, right before her eyes, startling her, the hat burst into song:

_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

Rin was astonished as she watched the hat sing its song. She couldn't believe the hat really had spoken, let alone sang. She continued to watch the hat in fascination while the teacher that has been their guide went toward the stool. He turned to face them and unfolded a scroll of paper. "When I will call your name, you are to come to the stool and you will be Sorted into the appropriate House.

"Avery, Sarah," he called. Rin watched curiously as a small, red-head girl emerged from the crowd. With shy steps, she walked toward the stool. He motioned her to sit on the table, and she did. He carefully placed the hat on her head, and it slid down her tiny head, completely covering her eyes. The room fell silent as they all waited.

A few seconds passed until, a loud clear voice rang throughout the hall, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Rin's eyes widened and her mouth went slightly agape. She had been watching the hat and was close enough to see that it had a mouth and it had just spoken to the entire crowd gathered. Even though she saw it, her mind couldn't make the connection. Could the hat _really_ have spoken?

One by one, she watched people get Sorted, some faster than others, as if the hat had to _think_ about its decision. It was so very odd to her. She wondered what other wonders she would discover in this new-found world.

"Ishbel, Rin," the man's voice called out her name. She sighed heavily, closed her eyes briefly and went toward the stool. She felt many pairs of eyes following her short journey, but she tried not to let it show how much their surveillance bothered her. Rin kept her back straight and walked with small, but sure steps. She sat on the stool and felt the hat being placed on her head.

"Hmmm," said a voice close to her ear and she jumped slightly. She didn't expect the hat to actually talk to her. She wondered if the man heard it. "Interesting," it said. "Wise beyond your years, I see, plenty of courage that lies inside and you're ready to put forth all the hard work and learn and fit in. Hmmm. I suppose it'll have to be…" Rin held her breath until the hat reached its verdict. It took several more seconds before its voice rang loud and clear, "RAVENCLAW!"

She sighed, glad that she was relieved of the pressure, and smiled for the first time since she set foot in the castle. The Ravenclaw table, the third table, started applauding loudly and cheering, waving her to join then. The man took off the hat and she ran toward the Ravenclaw table, eager to be away from the many watchful eyes. People were waving her to join them, but she decided to go sit by one of the first years that were just Sorted. The girl she went to sit by gave her a shy smile that Rin mirrored, but otherwise no words were passed between them as they watched the rest of the Sorting.

Rin was only paying attention to see where the boy she met earlier will be placed. Something about him sparked her curiosity and she indentified him quickly in the crowd that was thinning. Soon enough, he was called, "Riddle, Marvolo Tom."

The boy went to sit on the stool, his expression completely blank as if he was ready for anything. As the hat slowly descended on the boy's head, it barely touched his hair when the hat shouted out loud for the entire hall to hear, "SLYTHERIN!" Rin's eyes widened as she watched him with fascination walk toward the Slytherin table. She had watched the entire Sorting up until now. For all of them, the hat had to at least be placed properly on the students' head and it usually took at least a few seconds for it to decide, though she still didn't know on what criteria the hat chose the House for each student. The hat _barely_ touched him and it immediately placed him in Slytherin. She frowned deeply and followed him with her eyes until he sat down and she could see him no more.

The Sorting was soon over after that. The man in plum robes took the hat away and soon enough came back for the table. In the meantime, Rin noticed for the first time the table where the teachers sat. In the very middle, there was a tall chair that looked more like a throne and there were people sitting equally on both sides of it. The man sitting on the throne-like chair got to his feet.

He smiled pleasantly as his eyes swept over his pupils. "I welcome all of you to another great year at Hogwarts! To those of you who are new to this magnificent school, I hope you'll like it as much as I do," his smiled grew wider and chuckles rang throughout the Great Hall. "I have a few announcements to make, but I think you are all too hungry and thirsty to listen to me rant about school policy. So…" he raised his hands up in the air and then, magically, the empty plates that were on the tables were suddenly filled with food of all kinds, many of which Rin had never seen before. There was a loud sigh coming from all four tables as many people started eating already. "Dig in," he finished.

Rin turned to her food and started enjoying all the exquisite tastes around her. She automatically reached for where there usually was a glass of water or milk and found a goblet full of pumpkin juice instead. She took a test sip and found it delicious. She took several more gulps, surprising herself by how thirsty she was.

People all around her started talking to each other, but she minded her own business and didn't seek dialogue with anybody unless asked a direct question. That didn't happen very often. As if sensing her unwillingness to talk, her peers usually left her in peace. The girl she sat next to was braver though, and turned toward Rin.

"So, your name is Rin?" she asked her. Rin turned her sapphire eyes from the potatoes she was eating to meet her gray eyes. She surveyed her with one glance before she answered her question. Rin noted she was rather pretty, her hair a mop of rowdy coppery curls, her eyebroes raised at her curiously. Rin nodded in answer to her question.

"That's a pretty name. I haven't heard of it before." The girl's gray eyes seemed to be doing some studying of their own. "My name is Elizabeth. I know, it is rather long, so you can shorten it if you'd like," Elizabeth continued chatting easily though Rin was putting in no effort to keep the conversation going. As if she just now noticed that, Elizabeth's chatter faltered slightly, sounding a little unsure. "Well, it's really nice to meet you. I'll see you around in the Common Room," and with that Elizabeth turned toward the girl on her other side.

_Common Room_? She almost asked the girl what that was, but she supposed she would find out soon enough. Conversation buzzed around her, as everybody's emotions settled into a constant excitement and relief now that the Sorting was over. The emotions weren't as mixed as they were before, but they still settled on Rin's shoulders like a constant pressure she could not get rid of. She tried to identify the boy she saw earlier, Tom, but there were too many people around for her to identify just one person.

The feast went on for a while, and just when she thought it was over, all the dishes were replaced with deserts. Since Rin didn't know there would be desert, she was already full, but took a few bites out of a pie and some pudding she thought looked particularly appealing and found them both delicious as the rest of the food.

Rin sighed, content with her meal and wondered who made so much food and how exactly they did it. She supposed they used magic, and somehow simplified their work, but by how much?

She stopped in the middle of her dozing because she realized the hall had gone suddenly quieter. She looked toward where the teachers sat and saw that the same man who gave the speech earlier was up again and waiting to gain his students' attention.

"Now that we're all content and with our bellies full, it is time for my annual ranting," he smiled again and students answered with another set of chuckles, "mainly for the first years." Rin straightened her back and listened intently. "The forest on the grounds is strictly forbidden to all pupils. And I do mean _all_ pupils.

"The caretaker, Mr. Apollyon Pingle wanted to especially warn the first years that magic should not be used between classes. He also wanted me to warn you that he has some new ideas of corporal punishments for those who break the rules." Rin averted her eyes to a tall, solid man with graying hair that stood at the very left of the hall. He grinned wickedly and she looked away, horrified that they used corporal punishments.

The man continued. "Quidditch trials will be held in the third week of term and anybody who is interested to play for their House should contact Madam Hooch. That would be all. Now, off to bed! Tomorrow morning you will receive your schedules and start your classes."

Everybody rose on his command and Rin followed suit. She heard a voice call, "All the first years, follow me," and she tried to hurry toward that voice before she would get lost. She quickly identified the person as a tall boy, much older than she was, with fair hair and blue eyes. He seemed friendly enough so she followed him.

She tried to find the boy from earlier, Tom, but she couldn't see him at all among all these people that were mostly taller than she was. With a small, disappointed sigh, she followed her fellow first years deeper into the school.

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**A/N: Yes, for those of you who noticed, the song was from _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone._ I may believe I can write stories well, but I am not very good at poerty. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Do leave a review on your way out. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **The chapters are not a flowing story, nor will they be. I am focusing on only their most important encounters. I will still make the chapters flow, naturally, but the following one will not pick up where the previous left off. I will indicate in the story roughly how much time passes between the chapters. Things might start getting a bit confusing, especially if I write the chapters in a certain order and then I suddenly get another idea that - to follow the correct timeline - will be placed between two others that I have already written. I hope that won't happen, but just in case, check my profile. I will most likely mention there what I did and what is new.

_The Eagle and the Snake_ will follow Rin and Tom's journey throughout their 7 years of school and possibly even beyond. I am not sure yet of the time limit, but I know exactly how this story will end.

This one is shorter than the previous, but it will have to do for now. Enjoy!

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**~ The Eagle and the Snake ~**

_**Chapter 2**_

**Tom**

The castle was bigger and grander than Tom could have imagined. Yes, he had seen it on his short ride on the boat. Though it had been almost dark at the time, the dark could not hide its splendor. He had seen how part of the castle was built on solid rock, the structure rising majestically from it as if the two were one and the same. He had seen the many turrets that soared toward the sky. He had seen the many windows that dominated the castle and the lights that poured out of every single one of them invitingly. He had witnessed its massive size and felt overwhelmed by the need to discover all its secrets. He knew it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

However, seeing it from afar was nothing compared to exploring the inside of it. Tom was very disappointed that he had not had much time in the past few days to simply walk around the castle and see where his feet took him. Tom knew that if he did that, he would, regrettably, get lost and eventually have to ask for help. A few days at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had been enough to convince him that if he ever got lost, only luck would be able to take him back. The castle itself seemed to have a mind of its own and would likely lead him astray. Just his walks between his classes had shown him many wonders. Paintings that moved and he could converse with people inside. Staircases that moved on their own accord. Ghosts that roamed the castle halls. Mirrors that spoke. And almost all the objects around him seemed to have suddenly gained life in this strange world.

As he thought about everything he learned in the past few days, he felt an overpowering hunger for knowledge. If there was a humanly way to absorb it all in one night, he would, his need was that great.

Tom was on his way to the greenhouse for his Herbology class. It was still early, the class wouldn't start for another twenty minutes and he had plenty of time to get there, but he always arrived early. He walked alone, not drawing attention to himself, and if anybody sought him out or asked him a direct question, he gave a curt response and went on his way. Socializing didn't have a purpose in his world.

Lost in his thoughts as he was Tom accidentally stepped on his robe and fell. A dull blush colored his pale cheeks as he huffed angrily, tugging at his robes. They were far too long for him as they dragged on the ground. Dumbledore gave him money when he visited the orphanage, but he didn't give him enough to buy new robes, so he had to get used ones. Tom hated the predicament he was in; he loathed the thought that somebody else had also worn his robes before him.

As he got back to his feet, something caught his eye and he became momentarily distracted. His dark brows coiled, unforgiving and his equally dark eyes darted from one end of the hall to another. It was a rather awkward position he was in, and some of his fellow peers threw him furtive glances. He was resting on his knee, his palm still pressed against the cool ground, his eyes darting suspiciously about. Then he saw it, though at first the images held no importance to him at all. Dark hair. Pale skin. And a glimpse of a pair of sapphire eyes. Tom's eyes widened and he looked closer. Since their silent meeting on his first day at Hogwarts, he had not thought about the girl. His mind quickly caught on more important subjects. He frowned again and realizing he was still on the floor, he got up and retrieved his bag, his eyes darting toward the hall again. What was her name… He pondered on it for a few seconds then dismissed the thought. It wasn't important.

Tom's eyes and mind refocused on his previous destination: getting to the greenhouse. He purposefully started walking in that direction. It took quite a bit of his will strength to keep his expression blank as she passed right by him. Their gazes locked for a second. Black and Sapphire connected, then, just as fast, it ended. Her eyes found his, then she looked away, keeping her expression blank as if he was beyond her concern. She passed him and kept going. His body reacted as if on instinct, because he most certainly did not consciously make the decision to turn around and follow her. But follow her he did. As he kept eyes on her back, he vaguely noticed her long black hair that extended down to her waist in shiny layers of silk. As she rounded a corner, he caught another glimpse of her mesmerizing sapphire eyes. Those eyes fascinated, angered, confused and sparked his curiosity, all at once. Following her was the only thing he could do, though he realized it was irrational. He didn't hide at every corner, as he knew it would look conspicuous, therefore he kept a low profile, but a steady pace. Without even realizing where he was going, he kept his eyes on her back until she reached a classroom.

As she entered, for a short moment, she turned around, their gazes locking once more. Her expression did not change, which clearly indicated that she was not surprised to see him.

Which indicated that she knew he had been following her all along.

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**Rin**

The past few weeks have been an utmost nightmare. At the rate she was going, she wasn't going to last until the end of the year, let alone finish school. How could she, when her head has been pounding unbearably every day and every night ever since she got on the Hogwarts Express? She could hardly concentrate on the material during classes – though thankfully she took a decent amount of notes – and hasn't gotten much sleep at all. There were always a few people up whose jumbled emotions kept tugging at her own tired state and made her restless. She tossed and turned, waking up several times a night even after she finally managed to fall asleep. Every time she got up, she discovered she was drenched in sweat, her heart pounding in her tiny chest.

Rin didn't know how much more she could bear before she would lose her mind or have a complete mental breakdown and be sent to the Hospital Wing. Or even worse. Be sent home. She wondered if they could do that. Would they, she wondered, if the stress would end up being too much for her to handle? How could she learn to juggle a few hundred people's emotions and still concentrate on her studies? Will she be able to, at the very least, suppress it to something she can ignore?

She sighed, feeling more tired than she has ever felt. Rin knows that she will somehow have to learn to control this strange power of hers. She only hoped that she will gain more control as she gained experience, which she can only gain with time. Hopefully time is one her side. Rin sighed again, trying to recap in her mind what homework she has to do. It was finally Friday, but the end of the weekend brought little comfort. Almost all of her classes gave them some sort of homework assignment to do, whether it was to write a short essay – like for Transfigurations and Potions and History of Magic – or to practice a spell that they had done poorly on during class practice, particularly _Wingardium Leviosa_, since she hadn't quite master the "swish and flick."

Her thoughts wandered on her massive amount of homework as she walked up the stairs toward the Ravenclaw Tower. Rin tried her best to ignore the many jumbled emotions that didn't belong to her until she felt one that grew to be familiar in the past few weeks. Tom Riddle. Her eyes darted at the corner of her eye instinctively, but she kept her pace normal. She'd felt him following her on numerous occasions. His curiosity with her sparked her interest. Rin tried to tune in on just him and ignore everybody else. It was extremely difficult, since her mind wasn't well rested at all; it felt like she was trying to swim against the current and she simply did not have the strength to do it. The current took her along and she felt as if she was drowning. He was close to her that she could feel him better than she could feel almost everybody else around her. Proximity played a major role in Rin's power.

Rim studied him all the while she kept walking. She didn't sense the anger she felt before. She also felt curiosity and frustrations, much like the other times he followed her. Rin was beginning to think that they were directed at her because of that. Finally, when she reached the end of the stairwell, she stopped. Tom displayed slight fear and embarrassment, no doubt at the thought of being discovered yet again. She turned around and looked to see where he was. He was standing in the middle of the hallway. Just by tuning in on his emotions every so often, she came to know him well enough to know that he wasn't the type to hide.

Sapphire met black once again. Rin marched over to him and stopped a few feet away.

"You were following me again," Rin said with no preamble.

She was watching Tom closely and noticed that his body twitched slightly in irritation. "Yes," he answered and said no more.

Rin cocked her head to the side, as if listening to something. "Why?"

His blank expression held on indication of what he was thinking. "Why shouldn't I?"

Rin pursed her lips and continued to study him. The mysterious boy wasn't going to give her any leads. She decided to take matters onto her own hands. "You could just walk with me, instead of following me."

"Why would I do that when I don't even know you?" his dark brows furrowed slightly, a small indication that her words confused him.

"Well then," the tiniest of smiles touched her lips, "let me introduce myself properly." Rin stepped forward until the two were about an arm's length away. She held out her hand. "My name is Rin Ishbel." She stayed like that and waited for a response as she studied his dark depths. Tom looked into her eyes for the longest time. Then, finally, he clasped her hand in his and shook it once. A small tremor went down her spine, but she kept her stance. His skin was cool and felt almost like a warning. "Tom Riddle."

Her smile grew wider. "Nice to meet you."

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**A/N: Hope you guys liked it! Read and review please! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**~ The Eagle and the Snake ~**

_**Chapter 3**_

**Tom**

Tom quickly realized that he had much to learn about not only the Hogwarts castle and its secrets, but of the magical world in general. He had suffered the humiliation of not knowing what his Slytherin peers were talking about for far too long. Most of them laughed at him for not knowing terms such as "mudblood" or "blood traitor," things that any Slytherin knows. And he quickly learned why. With doing minimal research in the library, he found out the answer. It was all due to the founder of the Slytherin House.

Salazar Slytherin put a very high emphasis on the blood purity when choosing his students. He was very much against accepting them as he found them untrustworthy. Naturally, the students in the Slytherin house think the same, as they are mostly from pure-blood families. Upon this discovery, Tom decided to keep his blood status a secret. It was an impulse decision, but he thought it was best. He knew one of his parents had been a muggle (now he knew the term was associated with a non-magic folk) and the other had been of magic blood.

Tom pondered over his history book. The thought of his parents brought on the same nagging feeling he had before. Lately he had been too preoccupied with his studies to remember his curiosity about his parents. But he had some time on his hands and now that his mind had drifted to them, it will be hard for him to forget again.

He knew his father and grandfather's name. Tom Riddle. Marvolo. Was his grandfather on his mother or father's side? He realized, with an odd sense of detachment, that he didn't even know his mother's name. He shrugged it off. The only time when the old hag from the orphanage had spoken of his mother, she said that she looked defeated when she stumbled upon Wool's Orphanage. Her features were gaunt, her clothes filthy, and had died after giving birth to him. Tom shook his head. He had already decided that he wouldn't look for his mother. If she had had magical blood, she would have tried harder to survive, and she definitely would have had a better chance to. Anything was possible with magic, wasn't it?

He sighed and slammed the book shut. He wouldn't find anything here. And how was he going to find out even about his father? He only had his name and nothing else. He looked around at the many bookshelves that surrounded him. Right now, finding one person in this entire library seemed almost impossible. He sighed again, much more irritated this time due to the feeling of hopelessness that intruded his thick emotional barrier. For all he knew, his past will forever remain a mystery to him.

He was about to open the book again and start looking for the name Tom Riddle or anything that could be remotely related to him, when he caught a familiar glimpse from the corner of his eye. Acting on impulse, he closed it again, took his book bag and began to follow Rin as he had been doing the past weeks. He didn't question it anymore, he just let his body take over and follow the mysterious girl.

In the past few weeks, he had begun to find out more about her, though all his information came second-hand by watching from afar. As far as he could tell, she didn't seek out anybody's company. Every time he saw her, she had been alone. The few times he had witnessed her talking to somebody had not been for very long. Rin seemed to seek out solitude, much like he did.

Tom and her shared three classes: Charms, Potions and Flying. Professor Slughorn, their Potions teacher, frequently complimented her on her precision with potion making. Tom was somewhat envious of her talent, even though Tom also was held in very high esteem in Slughorn's eyes, even for a First Year. He wanted to be the very best and nobody else should be able to measure up to his level. But somehow, this Rin could.

Flying was another story entirely. Tom thought the brooms they used felt awkward and uncomfortable, and disliked the class even before he started flying. He, as well as most of his peers, seemed awfully ill at ease on the brooms, but Madam Hooch insisted that they will soon get used to the unique feeling. Rin, on the other hand, seemed to fly with a grace that few possessed, especially this early. He was especially envious of her talent after Tom fell of his broom when he was ascending and became the laughing stock of his class. Even Madam Hooch had chuckled, and everybody knew how hard it was to make Madam Hooch laugh. Luckily, he had only fell from about a meter off the ground, so the only thing that was hurt was his pride.

In contrary to Flying, Tom was praised in all of his classes for how well he was doing. He wondered how Rin performed in her other classes and if she was a match for him at all.

Tom frowned as his eyes continued to bore into her back. What had also astonished him was how incredibly stunning she was. In their very first encounter, he had been too mesmerized with her unusual eyes to notice anything else about her. They were such a pure, dark blue, the color of sapphires. It had been hard to look away. But in the past few weeks as he had been following her, he had noticed other features as well. How ebony black hair flowed down her back in waves of silk. How her skin was pale and lacked any sort of imperfection. How her lips were a pale pink color and how the corner lifted up slightly when she was amused.

He shook his head and looked around for her again. He shouldn't have gotten lost in his thoughts. Then he noticed she was standing right in front of him. Tom's expression registered surprise. It wasn't very often that he got distracted from his mission. Her blue eyes met his unflinchingly, though he was glaring at her as if she brought this predicament upon him.

Rin's head cocked to the side ever so slightly and the corner of her mouth showed a tiny trace of amusement. "Are you going to walk with me today?" she asked. Her question confused him momentarily, then his features blended into a mask.

"It wasn't my intention," Tom replied.

"You should," she said, though not unkindly, "it would be so much easier than following me around and worrying if I will notice." She paused. "Which I always do." Her smile broadened.

Tom remained silent. He wondered why she was so insisting that he walk with her. He wondered why, when she usually sought solitude, she now sought his company instead. It didn't make any sense to him. But he supposed he could comply. After all, it would be so much easier to study her like that than from afar.

Tom shrugged, appearing nonchalant. "Very well," was all he said.

Rin proceeded to continue her journey downstairs and Tom followed, this time, walking at her side. Tom stole furtive glances when he thought Rin wouldn't notice. As they were waiting for the staircase to go in place, she asked, "What class do you have next?"

He kept his eyes on the stairwell banister. "History of Magic with Hufflepuff."

"Professor Binns is a terrible bore, isn't he?" Rin chuckled quietly and his first thought was that he liked that sound.

He kept his tone impassive. "Yes, he is. This is my first and only class that I find boring."

"Same for me. We are lucky. Muggle school would have been an entirely different matter."

Tom's expression darkened at the thought of a Muggle school and the orphanage that he would eventually have to go back to during winter break. He was not looking forward to that. He mentally shoved away the thought. It was the middle of September. He had enough time to think about it until December.

"Is something the matter?" Rin's soft voice protruded through his thoughts. His dark eyes found hers. Was that _concern_ he heard?

"No," he responded automatically, feeling both flustered and irritated at her worry. Rin continued to hold his gaze for a few more seconds than was comfortable for him until she looked away.

They walked in silence after that, none of them saying another word. When it came the time to part ways, Tom took one last glance at Rin's profile and walked away. To his back, Rin said, "I enjoyed walking with you." Tom stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder to see Rin smiling slightly. Then she turned around and continued walking as Tom went down the stairs toward the greenhouses with thoughts of Rin swirling in his mind.

He realized that he had actually had a conversation with her, though a short one. But it didn't feel like before. He has had conversations with other people before, teachers, fellow peers from the orphanage or here. This conversation had felt…normal.

*o*o*o*

"I am appalled that Professor Merrythought said I needed a little extra practice with the Knockback Jinx. I mastered it, just like I mastered everything else!" Tom marched angrily down the hallway with Rin in tow. She remained silent throughout his rant, but listened intently. Tom grabbed his wand from inside his robe and flicked it without looking at what object he was casting the spell. "_Flippendo!"_ It happened to be a nearby mirror; it trembled under the force of the attack, flipped in mid-air, fell on the ground and shattered into thousands of pieces. The hall suddenly turned silent as all the students within a hundred meters stopped in their tracks to look at the source of the racket. Tom was lucky there were no professors around.

"_Reparo,_" Tom muttered quickly, afraid, despite his anger, that the caretaker, Mr. Pingle, will catch him. The mirror automatically mended itself and returned to where it was. He didn't want to get on the caretaker's bad side. He has heard rumors and quickly understood that what he initially thought was just a cruel joke was the cruel reality: Mr. Pingle was renowned for his corporeal punishments. He hated even the thought of being at his mercy.

Tom quickly turned and walked away from the incident, putting distance between him and the mirror. He took a quick glance beside him and saw that Rin was keeping pace with him. She had not said anything about the entire incident, but then again, that is what made Tom bond with her in the first place.

After their small conversation that day, something inside him broke free. He stopped following Rin and started walking with her like she had asked. Her words still rang in his mind whenever they walk together. _I enjoyed walking with you_. Somehow, after that, he had sought her out. He felt himself talking to her like he'd never talked to anybody before. And she _listened_. That is what Tom liked the most. She listened to him. Nobody else had before. Mrs. Cole, had lectured him, as had Dumbledore. The other kids at the orphanage stayed away from him, though as they should. He didn't need their company. And none of his other peers seemed to understand that he will one day become great, possibly the greatest.

Tom looked at Rin from the corner of his eye. As if she sensed he was looking at her, she turned fully toward him and her lips curled. He couldn't read her expression, he never could. She always seemed to have the same one on her face, regardless of the situation. Rin always seemed…serene, though detached from the world around her. Like she understood everything the world had to offer, but she kindly refused. She absolutely fascinated him.

He remembered the vow he had made not too long after arriving at Hogwarts and how he wished to discover all of its secrets. Today, he made a similar vow: that he will uncover all of Rin's secrets as well until she was completely and unflinchingly bare in front of him.

The thought brought the vaguest hints of a smile on Tom's handsome face.

* * *

**A/N: It took me a little while, but I finished it. I am very pleased with how I ended this one. I hope you guys will like it too!**

**Read and review please! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I will stop making excuses for my absences and just update whenever I can. Sounds good? Good.  
**

* * *

**~ The Eagle and the Snake ~**

**_Chapter 4_**

**Tom**

Ever since Tom was introduced by his fellow Slytherins to the demeaning terms for Muggles and Muggle-borns, and then researched the reason behind this hatred by reading about Salazar Slytherin, he understood the importance of this hatred and began taking it to heart. It wasn't hard at all; Tom knew, possibly has always known – even when he was in the orphanage and didn't know about the magical blood that ran through his veins – that he was destined for greatness. Therefore, he knew that becoming the great person he would grow to be, it would be inappropriate, shameful even, to associate himself with people of lower status. Especially people that are looked down upon.

Tom loathed that he was related to one even more now, and stuck with his original decision to keep his blood status a secret. He even went as far as to lie to his peers and claim he was a pure-blood. If they would find out about his half-Muggle parentage, they would shun him. Tom only associated himself with pure-bloods because he thought it would be more appropriate for him. With one exception: Rin.

For months, he had been meaning to ask her of her blood status, but at the same time, dreaded to. None of the other Houses guaranteed the blood status of the people in that house except for Slytherin, which meant she could be anything from a pure blood to a mudblood. For months, he had had the intention to ask her, but always found a reason not to or simply pretended as if he had forgotten. For a while, he tried to convince himself that it didn't matter. If she was a pureblood, she was rightfully so. If she was a half-blood, they would be almost like equals. If she was Muggle-born…that would make her even more fascinating, wouldn't it? If she was, how could somebody seemingly ordinary, be so incredibly enthralling? How could somebody leap so far beyond their ordinariness and be so mesmerizing?

On the other hand, it wouldn't do at all for him to associate himself with mudbloods. He had quickly learned that mudbloods were scum and to be ignored at the very least. Which would mean he would have to break all ties with her, and the thought of doing so made him feel rather…annoyed and frustrated. He disliked being in this predicament, and he almost wished he wouldn't have started following her at all, for if he hadn't, he wouldn't be in this predicament to begin with.

Rin was the first, and only person to really listen to him. And that started meaning more to him than he ever thought it would. She was quiet, and simply listened, as if everything he said was absorbing all of her concentration. She listened to him like the important person that he was. It seemed nobody else saw the greatness in him yet.

Save for her.

*o*o*o*

Tom was making his way to Slughorn's office. Not because he had a question about the essay that he had received back today – on which he received an Outstanding – and not for remedial Potions lessons. No. He was going to Slughorn's office because he was attending a club meeting. More like a party, because Slughorn so disliked to call them "club meetings" because they sounded too serious.

Tom had been talking to a new acquaintance of his named Lestrange in the Great Hall. He was a Slytherin too and in the same year as he, so it was easy for the two to connect. From the few conversations that they've had so far, Tom realized that they had a lot in common, from their favorite classes to other subjects. They had been right in the middle of their conversation when a girl of their age approached them timidly. They both scrutinized her as she drew nearer. She was a Ravenclaw and that immediately made him think of Rin, though he dismissed the thought almost instantly. Tom vaguely remembered her face and that they had Transfiguration together, though the thought surprised him because there were no redeeming qualities about her: just a face that would be lost in the crowd. Unlike Rin.

"Professor Slughorn asked me to give you this." She interrupted his thoughts and handed Tom a rolled piece of parchment. Once she had completed her mission, she walked away without another word.

Tom unrolled the parchment and read:

_My dear Tom,_

_I am delighted to inform you that you will be one of the few students in this school to be part of an exclusive club: mine. I have noticed your talent and I would be delighted if you would join our little party in my office next Saturday the 12__th__ at 7 in the evening._

_The Slug Club is looking forward to seeing you,_

_Horace Slughorn_

Tom read it over and felt a burst of triumph. This proved that he was excelling at this school. This was the best news since he had received his final grades over the past summer. He had received an Outstanding in all of his classes. Now he had been accepted to one of the elite clubs. Tom could barely hide how smug he felt. When he reached Slughorn's office door however, he composed his handsome face and knocked.

Horace Slughorn opened the door with a flourish. "Tom! So good to see you! Come in, come in," Slughorn beckoned him inside. Tom's dark eyes swept the room in one quick glance. There was a large round table at which no more than fifteen people could sit at one time. He saw several faces, boys and girls alike, but didn't recognize any of them. Everybody present in the room was older than Tom.

Slughorn closed the door behind him and presented Tom to his audience. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Tom Riddle." Them the professor turned to face Tom and said, smiling, "It is very unusual for me to accept second years in my private club. I usually wait a few years until I decide, but your talent was very hard to ignore. You may be young, but I see a bright future ahead of you." Slughorn winked, patted his shoulder.

"Thank you, Professor," Tom responded respectfully.

Slughorn then motioned for everybody to take a seat.

Tom surveyed the table that was packed with food and saw that there was one regal-looking chair with red velvet cushion among all the ordinary wooden ones. He decided to sit next to it and soon enough he discovered that his assumption was right: the most comfortable chair was Slughorn's. On his other side sat a rather bulky-framed Gryffindor. Tom did not give him a second glance; Slytherins and Gryffindors didn't fraternize.

"Everyone, help yourselves," Slughorn prompted them to eat. There was some shuffling of people making themselves comfortable and reaching for platters when a knock was heard.

"Must be our late bird," said Slughorn mysteriously and got up to open the door. Some people waited for the newcomer, others proceeded to eat. Tom, though hungry, decided to wait. It wasn't necessarily a matter of table manners, or being polite, but simply the fact that he did not like to be disturbed while he ate. He hoped he would only have to wait for this one person because he skipped dinner at the Great Hall to come to Slughorn's party, and he was famished.

"Thank you Professor Slughorn," said a familiar voice. Tom's head snapped up to see who was speaking and he couldn't believe his eyes. It was Rin. How could she be here? Didn't Slughorn just say that it was unusual for him to invite second years? And now there are two of them? Tom didn't know if he should admire Rin for being chosen as well or feel resentment that she ruined the image of how special he was for being the only second year in the room.

Slughorn presented her to the rest of the Slug Club. "Rin Ishbel, a Ravenclaw second year." He smiled and motioned her to a seat. Rin sat across from him next to a fellow Ravenclaw. Her eyes looked up to meet his, gave him a tiny, crooked smile, then focused on the Professor. "Now, I must say," he started, his eyes twinkling, "if it is unusual to have a second year in my club, it is an anomaly to have _two_ second years. I don't think this has even happened before, but I daresay I've made the right decision." The others laughed, but Tom merely watched Rin, unsmiling.

"Please help yourself," he told her and motioned toward the food and she smiled graciously. "Now that everyone is here, I want to make the introductions properly." Slughorn then went around the table and explain why everyone was there. Tom was only half-listening, but by the sixth person, he started understanding on what basis was this club running. All the people invited were related to some sort of famous person, and Slughorn usually inquired about that person. Others seemed to be extremely talented in a particular field. Quidditch, Herbology, any one subject in particular.

Then he rounded on Rin and his smile grew wider as he told his tale. "Rin seems to have a wonderful knack for potions and never once did she get less than an Outstanding on a class or homework assignment. Not only that but I have heard quite a bit of talk about her among the staff… almost as much as I have heard about you, Tom," he said, turning to his right. "Both come from the muggle world, both parentless, and both extremely talented. I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I hope to see you both in my N.E.W.T. classes."

Slughorn paused for dramatic effect then moved on to the girl next to Rin, but Tom had stopped listening. Slughorn had said that they were both from the muggle world. What were her circumstances? Was she like him, with Magical parents, but left alone to fend for herself in an orphanage? Or did that mean that she was a Muggle-born? His curiosity was at its peak now. He felt like he couldn't wait any longer to ask her.

His eyes kept drifting toward her and every time they did, she would look away from Slughorn to meet his. Every single time without fail. His fascination with her was almost as strong as his annoyance. Tom did not hear another word during the Slug Club meeting. His mind was too full of questions and his eyes were too easily distracted by the sight of her sapphire ones. Her eyes were like jewels he wanted to possess.

Finally, after Slughorn sounded mock-surprised that it was such a late hour, he sent them all to their common rooms and told them to wait for his message that will announce their next meeting. Tom locked his eyes on Rin's back so that he wouldn't lose track of her and went after her. When they were outside of Slughorn's office he reached out a hand toward her shoulder in an impulsive move to have her turn around, but he retrieved it before he actually touched her. However, she still turned around and raised her dark eyebrows questioningly. Some people were still coming out of Slughorn's office, so they moved out of the way.

"What did Slughorn mean when he said we were both from the Muggle world?" he demanded.

As if knowing what answer he was looking for, she simply told him, "My parents were Muggles."

Tom swallowed, his stomach suddenly feeling rather empty even though he had just had a full dinner. "Both of them?" He wanted to be sure.

Rin met his eyes unflinchingly, and in a tone that would only be described as cold, she replied, "Yes, both of them."

He swallowed again and a muscle on his jaw kept twitching. Finally, he sighed and gave the most indiscernible nod. They were the only ones in the hallway now, everybody else had left.

"What about you?" she asked, breaking the silence after a little while.

Her question surprised him and confused him all the same. Tom frowned, "What about me?"

"Professor Slughorn said that you were from the Muggle world too. What's your story?"

Tom tried not to let it show how uncomfortable her question made him and decided to ignore it. "Did you know your parents?"

Rin frowned this time. "Of course I knew them," she said, clearly not understanding why he had asked that. At least she had known her parents, spent time with them, even if they were gone now.

"When did they die?" he asked the question many would be either too polite or embarrassed to utter.

If Rin was surprised in any way by it, she didn't show it. "The summer before my first year."

Tom nodded absentmindedly and gave himself a mental challenge: to pick between his situation and Rin's. Knowing his parents, but have them both be Muggles or not know them at all, but know there is magical blood in his veins. He knew the answer any Slytherin would give. But what answer would he give? As Tom thought it over and over in his head, he realized that he wished he would've known his parents. Regardless which one, preferably both. He realized with a growing sense of hopelessness how different things would have been had he had both of his parents, or even one of them. He realized he would never have had to stay in that rotten orphanage. He would have had somebody to turn to and ask questions about his strange new powers when they started showing themselves around the age of seven. He realized he would have had somebody to go with to Diagon Alley. Of course, he had told Dumbledore he didn't need him and he didn't, but that was because he had had to get used to taking care of himself, or doing things himself. What if he had had a mother to turn to, or a father?

Tom clenched his fist and glared at Rin as if she was at fault for making him think those things, for making him feel those things. He hated feeling like this, this helplessness, and mourning over two people that he had never even met.

"So, what happened to your parents?" Rin asked him.

For the longest time he debated telling her at all. He debated whether he should turn around and leave. He had his confirmation now. He had his answer that he was looking for. Why was he not leaving?

He looked away at the darkened hallway. "We should go, I don't want a prefect, or worse, Mr. Pingle, finding us." And he set off at a brusque pace, knowing she would follow.

"Don't change the subject again," Rin said, her voice coming from his right.

Tom's lip twitched in the tiniest trace of a smile. When he opened his mouth however, he found himself growing serious again and telling her the truth. "I never knew my parents. I know my mother died after she had me, and I don't know what happened to my father."

"I'm sorry."

Tom was startled by this and looked at Rin. He knew by looking at her and by her tone that she meant those words. And he wasn't entirely sure how that made him feel. He didn't say anything and they continued walking until they reached the staircases. They knew that one of them would go down to the dungeons, and the other will go to the west tower. Tom made a step toward the stairs when Rin's voice stopped him.

"So, what happens now?"

He turned around. "What do you mean?"

"What about us? I thought we were friends," she answered defiantly and she frowned. Tom's mouth opened but no sound came out. She went on. "I know Slytherins don't like people like me. I know what they call people like me. Now that you know I am a Muggle-born, are you just going to pretend like we've never spoken? Like we've never even met?"

There was a note of anger in those words, and in the dark, Tom saw her sapphire blue eyes blazing. He was looking at those eyes when he answered.

"No."

* * *

**A/N: I'm pretty proud with how this one turned out. It was very hard because I had the very beginning planned out, and I have things planned out toward the end, but I had no idea what to do for the middle. I'm glad I got this though.**

**I also would want to apologize for my earlier chapter. *sigh* If there is one things I did not have any experience doing until now, was writing about little kids. Eleven, twelve, thirteen year olds... I am kind of lost until the age of sixteen and seventeen. Fine, since Tom and Rin are a little mature for their age, I will say fifteen. But what will I do until then? All I can say that is that I apologize if they don't act their age at all. I am really trying with this whole age issue.**

**Anyway, enough of me ranting. I hope you like the chapter and please review on your way out. : )  
**


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